Milk-can lock.



V. J. ANDREJKOVITZ.

MILK CAN LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1911.-

Patented Sept. 12, 1911 WITNESSES coLuMBIA PLAHOURAPH xiv-,WASHINGTON. D c

VINCENT J. ANDREJKOVITZ, OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MILK-CAN LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Serial No. 604,415.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT J. ANDREJ- KOVI'JJZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Wallingford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Can Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to milk can locks, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a novel lock that can be advantageously used in connection with milk cans and similar receptacles; second, to furnish a milk can with a lock that will prevent the contents of the can from being tampered. with during transportation; third, to provide a lock consisting of comparatively few parts easily maintained in an operatable condition, and fourth, to provide a lock that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly eflicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

I attain the above objects by a mechanical construction that will be hereinafter specitically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the look as applied to a milk can, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lock, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the lock with the casing thereof removed, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detached latch actuating member, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detached latch, Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the look as applied to a milk can, and Fig. 7 is an elevation in section illustrating the key.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a portion of a milk can having a neck 2 and adapted to slide into this neck is the collar 8 of a lid 4. The collar 3 is provided with a horizontal slot o, and secured to the inner side of said collar at the edges of the slot 5 is an oblong cover plate 6 which prevents the contents of the can from splashing or pass ing through the slot 5. The slot 5 and the cover plate 7 serve functionally as a keeper for a purpose that will presently appear.

Secured to the outer side of the neck 2 is a curved lock casing conforming to the curvature of the neck, said casing comprising a curved base plate 7 which is soldered or otherwise connected to the neck, and attached to said curved base plate is a curved lock plate 8 and a housing 9, said lock plate and housing being retained in engagement with the base plate 7 by a plurality of tie rods or rivets 10. The lock plate 8, base plate 7 and the neck 2 are provided with registering latch openings 11 to receive a latch 12 carried by a curved latch bar 13 which is movably. mounted upon pins 14 carried by the lock plate 8. The pins 141 extend through openings 15 provided therefor in the ends of the latch bar 13, and encircling said pins between the housing 9 and the bar 13 are coiled compression springs 16 adapted to normally retain the bar in engagement with the lock plate 8. The lock bar 13 intermediate its ends has its outer longitudinal edge cut-away and beveled as at 17 which is adapted to be engaged by the latch actuating member 19 so as to shiftthe bar 13 outwardly thereby moving the latch 12 to inoperative position. The latch-actuating member 19 comprises a guide bar 21 having projecting from one end a beveled toot-h 18 which is termed an actuator and which is of greater width and breadth than the width and breadth of the guide bar 21. The actuating member 19 further includes a beveled lug 23 which projects at right angles from one side of the guide bar 21 and which is of less thickness than the said guide bar 21 and the tooth 18. Secured to the lock plate 8 is a guide casing 22 in which is arranged the guide bar 21 and inwardly of said casing 22 is positioned a ward 20, the latter being secured to the plate 8. The tooth l8 rides against the ward 20 and when in normal position abuts against the inner end of the guide casing 22, the latter also constituting a means for maintaining the actuating member 19 in position upon the plate. Carried by the lock plate 8 is a key post 24: which is positioned in proximity to the lug 23 so that the latter can be engaged by the bit 27 of the tubular shank 25 of a key 26 so that the actuating member 19 can be shifted inwardly thereby causing the tooth 18 to ride against the beveled portion of the lock bar 13 and shift the same outwardly so as to move the latch to released position.

To lock the lid 1 in a closed position upon the can, it is necessary that the slot 5 of the collar 3 registers with the openings 11, and the slot 5is made ofasuflioient length whereby these openings can be easily placed in communication. The end of the latch 12 is tension of the springs 16 so that immediately I beveled, whereby the collar of the lid can be easily pushed into the neck 2, causing the latch 12 to recede thereby increasing the upon the openings 11 registering withthe slots 5, the springs 16 will force the latch bar 13 into engagement with the lock plate 8 and consequently the latch 12 into the slot 5. The milk can lid is thereby locked in a closed position and to release the same, it is only necessary that the key 26 be placed inthe key opening 28 of the housing 9 and upon the post 24. By then turning the key, the bit 27 engages the lug 23 of the latch actuating member 19, elevating said member and causing the upper beveled end 18 thereof to ride under the bar 13 at the cut away portions 17 thereof, forcing the bar outwardly, removing the latch 12 from the slot 5 and placing the springs 16 under tension. The key is held in engagement with the latch actuating member until the lid is removed and then by a rearward rotation of the key,

the member 19 is released, the latch bar restored to its normal position and the key can be removed. Should the key be placed in the lock and turned in the wrong direction, the lug 23 prevents a complete rotation of the same as the latch actuating member is held by the guide casing 22, thus indicating that the keymust be rotated in the other direction. Should the bit 27 of the key engage the lug 23 and immediately release it, as would occur if the key was turned too far, the latch actuating member immediately assumes its normal position.

"It is thought that the operation and utility of the lock will be apparent without further, description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a lock, the combination with a keeper, of a base plate, a lock plate, a housing, means connecting said housing and lock plate to said base plate, a spring pressed latch bar movably supported relatively to said lock plate, a latch carried by said bar and adapted to extend through said lock plate and base plate into said keeper, a shiftable latch-actuating member including a beveled tooth adapted when the member is shifted in one direction to engage under said bar thereby forcing the latter outwardly to remove said latch from said keeper, said actuating member further including a beveled lug, and a key adapted to be inserted in said housing and engage said lug to shift said member.

2. In a lock, the combination with a keeper, of a base plate, a lock plate, a housing, means connecting said housing and lock plate to said base plate, a spring pressed latch bar movably supported relatively to said lock plate, a latch carried by said bar and adapted to extend through said lock plate and base plate into said keeper, a shiftable latch-actuating member including a beveled tooth adapted when the member is shifted in one direction to engage under said bar thereby forcing the latter outwardly to remove said latch from said keeper, said actuating member further including a beveled lug, a key adapted to be inserted in said housing and engage said lug to shift said member, and means carried by said lock plate and adapted to guide said latch actuating member.

3. A lock comprising a keeper, a springpressed latch bar, a latch carried by said bar and normally engaging in said keeper, a shiftable latch actuating member, a guide casing therefor, a tooth carried by the latch actuating member and adapted to engage under said latch bar for shifting the latter outwardly thereby removing the latter from the keeper, a beveled lug projecting from said latch actuating member, and a key adapted to engage said lug for shifting said latch actuating member thereby moving the tooth to shift the latter.

1. A look comprising a keeper, a springpressed latch bar, a latch carried by said bar and normally engaging in said keeper, a shiftable latch actuating member, a guide casing therefor, a tooth carried by the latch actuating member and adapted to engage under said latch bar for shifting the latter outwardly thereby removing the latter from the keeper, a beveled lug projecting from said latch actuating member a key adapted Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

